Dog is mourning the children leaving post Christmas

[Enko]

Dh and I have 4 children in their 20s. 2 have fully moved out one is in uni and one has started her masters this September having been at home the previous 18 months.

DDog adores the children and the day he had all 4 of them home was his best day. 3 where here for 4 days and 2 for 14 with youngest having been home for 22 days..

Dd2 left Saturday and dd3 returned to uni this morning.. just dh and I left. DDog is bereft. Following dh around the entire day (I was at work) even tried to go to the toilet with him. Keeps checking the girls bedroom and then Sighs heavily when he rediscover they really are gone.. snuggled into dd2s bed so we likely cant change her bedding for a while.

Obviously dh and I find the house so quiet but we equally get the kids are out there living their lives as they need to do. Just today with all the decorations down and the house quiet. Dinner for two and DDog now cuddled as close in against me as he can manage. I want to turn back time for a little while.

Anyone else ever wish they could time travel to relive good times. Not to change anything but just to enjoy the moment with those you love?

Btw yes I know some people loathe DDog but I love it🙂

We have a dog. DC family also have a dog who always comes to our house when they visit (they live a few hours away) and who we often look after when they go away. The dogs love seeing each other and get so excited. My dog always mopes for at least a day when his doggy friend goes home.

I took the DC away last half term and left the dog at home with DH. By the fourth day DH was at the vets, so concerned was he about her sudden change in demeanour and loss of appetite. Diagnosis: depressed and missing her gang! We came home a day early to make it up to her 😁

Oh this is so sweet! The deep sigh! Poor wee mite.

I love DDog and DCat too OP 🤣

Poor baby! Our wee schnauzer will be the same next week when ds goes back to uni. (So will I!)
Thankfully dd is living at home whilst doing her masters so he’ll have her but he loves everyone being here.

In the morning after his breakfast he goes and has a cuddle with each of them and then lies and sleeps in the hall between their rooms! Guards them both.

Omg this is so adorable

Aww that is adorable

so true! Just putting my 13 month old to sleep so my Ddog can have my attention. She is a 10 year old lab and on days husband is away for work she sits on the landing looking out at the drive - waiting for him. The first night he is away she sleeps there too.. he is away every week by the 2nd night she comes back to her bed which is in our room. He is bank on the 3 day and she is literally under his feet.. he throws his bags down at 6! Kiss for baby on her head - she is usually in her high chair making a mess and he takes the dog out…once little one is asleep she is waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Ddog and I snuggle on the couch… I really have stuff to do but I think she deserves that alone time!!

Awww

Now I am wondering if I am a bad dog mum as vets didnt occur to me 😂

Bassets are similar to beagles. Our beagle was always sad if someone eas away but sooooo happy when we were all at home.

My old Labrador was like this . Before Covid when he was at home on his own for a time he’d wait by the door for each person to come home and his tail wagged so much his bottom nearly fell off🤣. If somebody was out he knew and would wait for them to come home

Snap

I do know what you mean, my kids are younger so all at home but they went back to school today and dog was v. disappointed that her playmates hsve gone.

Oh god and he's a basset too, how perfect

Those eyes

🥺

This is so sweet! I know dog owners don’t believe it about cats but ours also gets depressed when me and the kids are away - she basically goes on hunger strike for extended periods which is quite worrying! Her main ‘person’ is my teenage daughter and it slightly breaks my heart when DD has been at a sleepover and the cat is so excited when she comes home. I often wonder if the bond is much deeper with a dog but I’m so attached to the cat I couldn’t bear to get one in case it would ruin her charmed life!

LOL - that made me giggle

This is so heartwarming yet so sad. They understand so much more than we give them credit for and we really don’t deserve them.

Our Pomeranian sulks. Dramatic sighs, head down, looks like her best friend died.

At ten to five she sits by the front door waiting for our sons to come in. Both are single and used to come for supper a few times a week. One is away working in Germany and she spent a week looking for him at supper. The other works away but came home for Christmas. She was at the front door waiting for him every day. He spent his last evening at home explaining that he'd take her with him if could but the racoons would beat her up and she wouldn't like living in barracks. She did the head tilt thing like she was listening and understanding every word.

The one working in Germany is home on Saturday so Sunday for good and we're expecting a total meltdown when she sees him.

Nothing useful to add, but this is so cute! I need to see a picture of the sad dog.

It's the same :) having lived with both adored dogs & cats, the bond is just as deep with both.

I just get the feeling your home is so happy and you have your children a lovely childhood.

That is so sweet. I'm going to think about depressed dogs if I can't sleep tonight.

I've a similar family situation but the poor dog only has me to live with most of the year.
I can't acknowledge any of the children by name when they phone or he looks for them.

My cat is the same,keeps wailing woefully outside ds's old room in the hope he'll let him in and give him a cuddle

Our dog goes into a state of mourning on the Friday my DS goes to his Dads.

He will get into his bed beside the fire side-eyeing me like it’s all my fault. He’s quite judgmental about my parenting a lot of the time actually. 😏😂

Dogs are the best! My DD has never known life without our (now v elderly☹️) dog and the relationship they’ve had has been absolutely adorable. She’s treated him like her brother, included him in everything! She talks to him like he can understand her. We never played a game that didn’t include him and I dread the day he goes, both for me and her.